In a bid to boost agrarian economy, the government had in December 2014 fixed a price of Rs 48.50-49.50 per litre for ethanol public sector oil companies were to buy from sugar mills for blending with petrol.

In fact, segment leaders like Maruti Suzuki, Tata Motors and Hero MotoCorp have reported de-growth of 34.3 per cent, 45 per cent and 20 per cent, respectively giving a clear indication of a prolonged slowdown in the sector.